Reggie and the Cuban

By: Jeff Simons

This Summer we had our first mission trip to Honduras, doing evangelism through basketball. I never would have dreamed that on our return to Memphis, a coup would arise in Honduras. The last one occurred in Central America 15 years ago.

Two coaches from Honduras assisted us in the clinics this year and we called them Reggie and The Cuban. Reggie, originally from Panama, had played against Michael Jordan and Larry Bird in a pre-Olympic Basketball game years ago. Gentle and teachable, he quickly learned the fundamentals we were teaching, and relationships developed between Reggie and our coaches. On the second day, when Floyd (one of our volunteer coaches) was leading the campers in the sinner's prayer following the presentation of the Gospel, I observed an amazing sight. Reggie had jumped to his feet and with high volume was following Floyd in the sinner's prayer. Of course we know a prayer can’t save you, but all the coaches would challenge anyone who did not believe God had called Reggie to salvation before our very eyes. The Cuban was a 69 year old veteran basketball coach who had escaped communism in Cuba to become a youth coach in Honduras. He had a deep bass voice and the campers had a deep admiration for his coaching style.

After Reggie’s conversion we had given him a Bible, and imagine my amazement when on the last day, The Cuban asked for a Bible. Through an interpreter, he stated "I have never been told in my entire life I am a sinner in need of a Savior." What a joy to realize The Cuban too had embraced the Savior. There were tears all around our coaches and Reggie and The Cuban as we departed the Coliseum the last day.

Campus Crusade for Christ has both Reggie and The Cuban in discipleship classes in Tegucigalpa. What a joy to await observation of their spiritual growth next summer and to think God could take a sport like basketball as a catalyst to bring two men to faith in Christ.